1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to wrist protectors and, more particularly, to a glove worn by a snowboard rider that incorporates wrist protection.
2. Statement of the Problem
Snowboarding is a sport with a high incident rate of wrist injuries.
One approach in providing wrist protection while snowboarding is U.S. Pat. No. 5,313,667, which provides a wrist pad for protecting the wrist of a snowboard rider from adverse rotation and consequent serious injury. The '667 patent sets forth a wrist pad to be worn over a glove. When the '667 wrist pad is worn, opposing wrist support plates on opposing sides of a hand are secured on the outside of the glove to provide wrist protection. The '667 patent utilizes four separate straps that selectively interconnect around the glove. These four straps, therefore, are exposed to adverse winter conditions and to ice and snow buildup during use. This requires the material to be made of waterproof material. Placing the wrist pad on the outside of the glove takes away from the appearance of the glove and takes away from the smooth outer surface of the glove that is desired for snowboarding and the like. Furthermore, this design by being on the outside of the glove does not provide as snug a fit to the hand as found, for example, in in-line skating wrist protectors, which are applied directly against the skin of the hand. Finally, the process of removing a glove is complicated since the wrist pad must first be removed by removing four straps and then removing the glove.
Hence, a need exists for a snowboard glove having integrally built into it wrist protection that provides a snug fit as close to the hand and wrist as possible and yet retains the smooth surface and aesthetic good looks of a conventional glove. The glove should be capable of being quickly put on and removed.
3. Solution to the Problem
The snowboard glove of the present invention solves the above-stated problem by internally incorporating wrist protection in a glove and positioning the internal wrist protection as snugly as possible to the hand and wrist while maintaining the smooth outer surface of the glove. Furthermore, the glove is easy to put on and to take off.